Helen Gets A Head
by newbienovelistRD
Summary: To do well on a scartiage report, Helen and the ghouls search for her grandfather, the Headless Horseman. But there's more to him than the stories say.
1. Field Trip

At Monster High, things have been pretty lively since their newest student Helen Bloodgood transferred.

She thought she was human. But once her head came off, she discovered her monster heritage as the granddaughter of the Headless Horseman.

So Helen and her mother joined the student body and staff at Monster High.

Needless to say, they were fitting in just fine.

In the art room, Frankie, Draculaura, Clawdeen, and Cleo were putting the finishing touches on their new fearleading uniforms.

"These are so clawsome!" Draculaura said, holding up a black and pink jersey.

"I'm normally not a fan of sports, but these outfits are enough to make me howl at the moon!" said Clawdeen.

"As fearleading captain, I approve!" Cleo complimented.

Helen and into the room with an armful of books. "Hey, guys! Can we talk?"

Frankie looked over to Helen. "Hey, Helen! Are you here to join the fear squad?"

"Nah, I'm not an athlete kind of girl. I mean, ghoul!" She put her books down. "Besides, with my mom as the new gym coach, I've got enough physical endurance going on!"

"Yeah! Your mom's no pushover when it comes to gym!" Clawdeen said. "My legs are still sore from doing those laps!"

Once Helen's mother Helga joined the staff, she was made the gym coach. All those years of playing polo and staying in peek form made her an excellent coach.

"Yeah, that's my mom." Helen smiled. But her smile faltered. "But I'm here cause I got a serious problem."

Frankie took notice. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, you know that project we have? About our family 'scareitage'?" Helen said. "I'm not sure what to do. I just discovered I'm a monster only a week ago! My mom is the only family I have and I don't know a thing about my grandfather, the Headless Horseman!"

"Have you asked your mom about the Headless Horseman?" Frankie asked.

"Yeah, but she just gives me the mom look and drops the subject!" Helen threw her hands up. "What am I gonna do? I've been dying to learn about my grandfather! I want to know if he's just like in the books and movies!"

Draculaura nodded. "Yeah, the Normies like to stretch facts about monsters in books and movies."

Frankie's bolts sparked. "I know! We'll use the Monster Mapalogue!"

Helen scratched her head. "The ma-whozee-mapa...what did you say?"

"Monster Mapalogue!" Frankie took out a skull shaped amulet from her pocket. "This is used to find any monster in the world!"

"Really?! Any monster in the world?!" Helen head popped off in surprise, but she caught it. "You're serious?!"

"Yeah! We'll use it to find the Headless Horseman!"

This was too good to pass up! Helen wanted to meet her grandfather so badly! Just the thought of meeting him made her tingle head to toe.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

"First, put your hand on the skullette." Draculaura instructed. She, Frankie, Clawdeen, Cleo, and Helen did as so.

"Then, we say the name of the monster, then the magic words! Headless Horseman, exto monstrum!"

With a flash of pink, the ghouls were gone.

* * *

 **OOF!**

Helen felt herself land on cold, wet grass. She found herself in a forest, a forest that was dark and menacing. The trees were dead and gnarled, a chilling wind whispered through the branches.

"So awesome..." Helen breathed out.

Draculaura looked around. "So, where is the Headless Horseman?"

Cleo eyed her surroundings. "I doubt anyone would live in a place like this."

"Maybe in that fancy house can help us." Frankie pointed to spooky mansion not too far from where they stood.

The mansion was an old, dark ruin that Helen swore wasn't there the last time she looked.

"Let's check it out." Frankie said.

As the girls approached the mansion, Helen pictured the terrifying and bizarre mysteries they would find inside.

"Do you think my grandfather really lives here? Does he haunt this place?" Helen asked out loud. "Does he have his own horse? Is he nice or scary? Is he-"

"Helen!" an annoyed Cleo shouted. "Perhaps you can save these questions for when you actually _meet_ your grandfather?"

"Okay."

The girls went up the stairs. Helen was the first to knock on the door. "Hello?"

No answer.

Helen grabbed the doorknob and started jiggling it.

"Helen?! What are you doing?!" Draculaura hissed.

"Trying to get in." Helen casually answered.

"Helen! You can't just-"

Helen ripped the doorknob right out.

The ghouls stared in shocked silence.

"I'm gonna have to ask my grandpa about my monster strength." Helen said. She tossed the doorknob aside and entered the old mansion.

"Helloooooo?" Helen's hello echoed through the darkness.

"Uh...Mr. Horseman?" Frankie called out.

Draculaura checked over we shoulder. "M-M-Maybe we should go back to school." she squeaked.

But Helen wasn't giving up. "C'mon, Drac! We've come this far, so let's close the deal!"

"Ugh! This place is disgusting!" Cleo swatted away a cobweb caught in her hair. "How could any monster live like this?!"

"Don't be such a wuss, Cleo! I think this place is wicked cool!" Helen said, smiling. "Maybe we'll meet some headless ghosts or living suits of armor! That would be so rad!"

"Maybe you watch too many human movies." Clawdeen said.

Helen stopped, her friends stopped behind her, bumping one another.

Cleo rubbed her nose. "What is-" She froze. "it..."

The ghouls stood in front of a deep, shadowy hallway.

A tall, ominous figure was approaching...

Helen remained frozen as her friends let out squeals of terror.

Draculaura grabbed Helen's arm. "HELEN! We've got to get out of here!"

Nothing Draculaura could do or say couldn't save Helen from her state of shock nor the menacing figure coming closer.

The stranger emerged from the darkness.


	2. Lost and Find

Helen and her ghoulfriends stared open-mouthed.

Standing tall and mighty was the Headless Horseman. Dressed in a black tattered uniform with a flowing cape and battered military boots.

And there was no head on his body.

"Uh...Mr. Horseman?" Helen spoke softly. "I'm your granddaughter, Helen Bloodgood. And these are my friends."

"Hi." Draculaura squeaked, waving timidly.

The horseman remained motionless. The ghouls wondered what his next move was. It was hard to tell what someone is thinking when they have no head.

After a brief pause, the horseman took out a pen and a pad of paper. He scribbled something down and held it up for Helen to read.

GO AWAY

"Go away?!" Helen was shocked by such a response. "Now that's just plain rude! We came all this way just to meet you! Is it so wrong that I want to learn my monster heritage?! Especially when it's for a class project!"

The horseman turned away.

"She's right, Mr. Horseman." said Frankie. "We mean you no harm. We're all monsters here."

"And I've always wanted to meet you before I even knew I was a monster!" said Helen. "At least give me a chance. It's not just for a project, I really want to Ben your friend. So, what do you say?"

The horseman looked at Helen. Well, appeared to be looking at her. His body shifted in her direction.

He wrote another note;

'If you want my help, you must help me first.'

"Help you? Help you with what?" asked Helen.

He scribbled another note.

'Help me find my head.'

"Find you head?!" the ghouls exclaimed.

The next note he wrote took a bit longer to write. He gave it to Helen and she's read it out loud.

"Centuries ago, I was a solider that fought bravely during the war. But my life was taken when the enemy shot me with a cannon and took my head. Then I became a rare form of monster known as the du..." Helen's tried to pronounce the word. "du..duh...dulla...?"

"Sound it out." Cleo said.

"Du...lla...han. Dullahan. Dullahan? That's a weird name."

"Keep reading!" Clawdeen said.

Helen continued reading.

"Since I became a dullahan, I was recruited by the monsters to aid them in hiding from the humans. One night, while riding my horse, I crossed a river and dropped my head, the current took it away. I tried to find it, but I didn't want to risk exposing myself to the humans. So I remained in my mansion and haunted this hollow for the rest of my days."

"So, you've been missing your head for that long?!" Clawdeen blurred out. "I don't think your head has survived-"

The Headless Horseman grabbed the notepad from Helen and furiously wrote another note and pointed it out for the ghouls.

'MY HEAD IS STILL OUT THERE! I CAN FEEL IT!'

"You can feel it?" Helen scratched her chin. "Can you see where you are?"

Another note later,

'No, wherever my head is, all I see is darkness...but I can sense where it is. It's somewhere in the town.'

Helen slapped her grandfather on the back. "Don't worry, grandpa! We'll help find your head! Right, ghouls?"

"You bet! We're here to help!" Frankie said.

"If anyone can do it, we can!" said Draculaura.

"You can count on us!"

After considering this, the horseman wrote another's note and gave it to Helen.

"But to find my head, I must be near it in order to sense where it is. I cannot risk exposing myself to the humans."

Helen scoffed it off. "Don't sweat the small stuff, gramps. I know how we can sneak you into town!"

"How?" asked Draculaura. "A headless monster is going to be hard not to attract attention!"

Helen smiled with pure assurance. "Just leave it me. I got it covered."


	3. Headless VS Brainless

In the dark town of Sleep Hollow, everything was quiet and seldom.

Most of the humans stores were closed and there was not a soul on the streets.

It was a perfectly average, nothing out of the ordinary town.

Outside the town, Helen and the ghouls were ready to put their plan in action.

Helen turned to her grandfather. "You ready?"

The horseman stepped forward in his disguise. Instead of his uniform, he was wearing a leather jacket, blue jeans, biker boots, and a black motorcycle helmet.

"How's that head working for ya?" Clawdeen joked.

The horseman scribbled another note and held it in front of Helen's face.

'I can't believe you conned me into wearing this degrading ensemble.'

"Stick to the plan, Grandpa. It'll be worth it when we find your head." Helen smiled. "Besides, you look awesome!"

The horseman shook his helmet head.

"Okay, so now what?" asked Draculaura.

"Simple. Grandpa and I will go into town and look for his head. When we find it, we'll use the monster mapalogue to get to you guys. Then we use it again to go home. Easy peasy."

"You make it sound easy peasy, but I have my doubts." said Cleo.

"Have a little faith in me, Cleo." Helen put her hand out. "Frankie, mapalogue."

Frankie handed her the artifact. "Just be careful with it. We'll wait for you back at the horseman's mansion."

"Gotcha." Helen put it in her pocket. "Let's move out!"

* * *

Helen and her grandfather entered the town. "Good, there's no one here! Do your thing, Pop!"

The horseman stuck out his gloved hands. He felt his fingertips tingle, his head was near. He began walking in the right direction.

"Yes!" Helen hissed as she followed him.

As she followed the legendary monster, Helen tried to imagine what his head would be like? What if it was a skull? Or gross and wrinkly like a raisin?

Suddenly, Helen bumped into someone's chest.

"Hey! Watch it, Toots!" snapped a human. He wasn't wearing a football jersey. He had two friends wearing the same jerseys.

"I'm sorry!" Helen apologized, backing away.

"I just had this washed!" snapped the jock. He was going to grab Helen until the horseman grabbed his hand first.

"HEY!" The jock was angry for about two seconds. His face twisted in pain as he felt this helmet-wearing man squeezing his hand so hard, he could barely twitch his fingers.

The horseman threw the jock into his friends. They're jerseys were dirty and they were seeing red.

The punks got back on their feet. "Listen, you bum! You messed up our jerseys!" snarled one of the jocks.

"You know what we do to people who mess up our jerseys?!"

The jocks menaced towards then.

Helen and the horseman looked at each other. Then they took their heads and pulled them off their shoulders.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The jocks screamed like they had just seen a ghost. Well, a dullahan to be exact.

They ran off in complete terror, their tough guy visage ruined.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That was awesome!" Helen laughed out loud.

The horseman doubled over, his shoulders heaving. So it was safe to assume he was laughing too.

"You are the coolest grandpa ever!" Helen gave her grandpa a high five. "Now, let's go find that head!"

With that minor speed bump out of the way, Helen resumed to following her grandpa. It was a bit of a walk, so Helen resumed thinking about how monstrous the head would look like.

 **CLANG**

Helen's train of thought was interrupted by the horseman, whose hands were against a tall, black gate. Behind it was a marvelous white mansion.

The sign on the gate said: SLEEPY HOLLOW MUSEUM

"Your head is in there?" asked Helen.

The horseman nodded his helmet. He fiercely clenched the gate bars.

"Hm? We can't just break into a museum. We'll get arrested." Helen patted her grandfather on the back. "Let's go, Grandpa."

Helen saw him dip his shoulders. "It's okay. We'll find your head tomorrow. Let's go home."

Helen took out the monster mapalogue and they returned to the living room of Headless Manor.

"That was fast!" Frankie said. "Did you find the head?"

The horseman responded by removing his disguise.

Helen shook her head. "Nope, bit we know where it is. "It's in the Sleepy Hollow Museum."

"A museum? But how are we gonna get his head back?!" Draculaura asked.

"That..." Helen said. "I have no idea. We'll just sleep on it and think of a plan later."

"Good plan." said Cleo. "You heard the sarcasm, right?"

"Helen's right, Cleo." Frankie said. "We can't just break into a human museum and take something from there! We'll get in big trouble!"

"Yeah! Why do you think museums have guards and security cameras? Not to catch mice, that's for sure!" Helen pointed out. "So, we'll just sleep on it and come up with a plan. Sounds easy, right?"

The ghouls thought about this carefully. Helen did make a good point.

"Alright, we'll sleep on it." Frankie said.

A moment of silence.

"So...what do we do now?" Clawdeen asked.

"Let's play Truth or Dare! I mean, Truth or Scare!" Helen said.

"Good idea!" Draculaura said. "Let's do it!"

The ghouls sat by the fireplace. They looked at the Headless Horseman, who stood in confusion.

"You never played Truth or Scare?" Frankie said. She got up and brought him over to their little circle.

"It's easy. When someone ask you, 'Truth or Scare', you pick only one of the two. If you pick truth, they ask you a question and you answer it truthfully. If you pick scare, you have to do whatever that person tells you, no matter how crazy." Helen said with a giggle.

"I'll go first!" Draculaura said. "Helen, truth or scare?"

"Hmm...scare!" Helen said.

"Oooh!" The ghouls were impressed by Helen's bravery.

"Okay! You have to...to...to...um..." She tapped her chin, trying to think of a good one.

"Get your foot of the breaks, Drac." Helen said cockily.

"Okay! You have to..." She bit her lower lip. "Tickle your grandpa!"

The ghouls looked at their vampire friend like she ate a big. But Helen just laughed. "Oh, this should be fun!"

The horseman turned to Helen and saw her wiggle her fingers towards him. He backed away waving his hands in a manner to say, 'Please don't!'

Seeing him act so scared, Draculaura and Frankie shared a nod and grabbed the horseman's arms.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Draculaura said.

Wth his arms Helen out, Helen tickle-attacked his underarms.

The horseman squirmed and thrashed his body around. The ghouls laughed as they assumed the horseman was very ticklish.

"He must be really, really ticklish!" Frankie laughed.

Helen stopped after a few minutes of tickling. The horseman was heaving in a tiresome way.

"Sorry, Pop." Helen shrugged. "Gotta do the scare when challenged. My turn! Drac, truth or scare?"

"Scare! I'm ready for anything!"

Helen smiled wickedly. "You have to...let my grandpa tickle you!"

Before Draculaura can bat an eye, Clawdeen and Frankie grabbed her and held her arms out!

Draculaura became even paler when the Headless Horseman loomed over her with wiggly fingers.

"Attack of the Headless Tickler!" Helen said in a spooky voice.

The Horseman went right for Draculaura's stomach.

"Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha! No! Please! Not there! It TICKLES!"

Everyone laughed as Draculaura laughed.

Especially the Headless Horseman. For centuries, he was living his life alone in darkness, locked away from the rest of the world.

Then his granddaughter and her friends come into his life.

Never has he been so happy to be among his fellow monsters again.

He felt so alive.


	4. Charles Crane

The next morning was bright and sunny. Headless Manorwas just as creepy as ever, even in the daylight.

The ghouls were enjoying a lovely breakfast in the spooky kitchen courtesy of the Headless Horseman himself.

In his best 'Kiss The Spook' apron, he made ghost toast, scrambled devil eggs with sliced blood oranges.

Luckily, none of the food was aged as the house.

"A toast to a new morning!" Draculaura said, holding up her ghost toast.

The ghoulfriends laughed.

The Headless Horseman heard their happy laughter and kind compliments. It felt o wonderful having company, he's never had company over, especially make breakfast for his company!

"Come on and have a seat, grandpa!" Helen said. "You need too!"

The horseman removed his apron and joined his guests for breakfast. The ghouls watched in fascination seeing him eat.

Since he had no head, the dullahan simply put his food down his neck hole. There were chewing sounds heard, then swallowing.

Helen was so amazed, her grandfather was cool even when he's eating!

"So, what's your big plan to get the head, Helen?" asked Cleo.

Helen puffed her chest with pride. "It's simple. Pop and I will go into the museum and snoop around for clues. We'll make sure not to arouse suspicion."

"You call that a plan?!" said Clawdeen.

"Well, do you have a better plan?" Helen retorted.

Clawdeen opened her mouth, then closed it. "Okay, you win."

"Good! So, it's off to the museum!" Helen said.

With his disguise back on, The Headless Horseman and Helen returned to the town and went to the museum.

It was open. But there wasn't anyone around.

The Headless Horseman put his hands out to detect his head. His fingers twitched in shock.

"What's wrong?!"

The horseman furiously wrote another note.

MY HEAD IS NOT THERE ANYMORE!

"What?!" Helen cracked her knuckles. "Okay, I smell a rat! I'll go in and interrogate who's in charge here. Pop, stay here and keep an eye out for any shady characters!"

Her grandfather saluted and leaned against the gate in a very smooth way.

Helen marched up to the museum and entered. "Hello?"

A skinny man in a brown suit came running out. "I-I'm terribly sorry! But we're closed!" He brushed back his dusty brown hair.

"Closed? But the sign said open!" Helen said. She saw the sweat beading on the man's forehead.

Perhaps this is her rat.

"W-Well, we're having a spot of trouble here at the museum." the feeble man said.

"What kind of trouble?" Helen questioned.

Before the man spoke, loud footsteps boomed towards him.

"Don't listen to him!" Another man came in. Unlike the first man, he was tall, muscular, and wore an orange polo shirt and blue jeans. "Of course this place is open! He's just spreading rumors about ghosts haunting this place!"

"Ghosts?!" First the Headless Horseman and now ghosts?! Helen excitement escalated.

"There are no ghosts!" snapped the orange brick house. "I'm surrounded by sissies!" He stomped away.

"Uh...what was that?" Helen asked when the man left.

"That was Tucker Bones. He's the football coach at Sleepy Hollow High school. He stormed in here this morning saying his son and his friends saw a couple of headless ghosts outside the museum last night."

Helen tensed up. And so did her grandfather.

They were those Headless ghosts that scared the sweat off those jocks last night!

"Mr. Bones thought it was a prank that I orchestrated. So he came here to chew me out for scaring his son." The man nervously looked around and leaned in very close. "But...I think there are ghosts here!"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well...last night, when I was working late on paperwork, I heard...laughter." He gulped. "Deep, horrible, ghostly laughter!"

"Hm, ghostly laughter. Interesting..." The mystery of the museum deepens. "Can I ask you something, Mr...?"

"Crane. Charles Crane."

"Wait! You mean, like Ichabod Crane?! Like in the story?!"

"Yes," Charles sighed, exasperated. "Like in the story."

"Wow! It's an honor to meet you, Sir!" Helen grabbed his hand and shook it. She just had to shake it.

Charles rolled his eyes. "Likewise."

"So, who do think is haunting the museum, Mr. Crane?" Helen asked. "I'm a bit of a ghost expert. Is it...the Headless Horseman, by any chance?"

Charles turned pale. Good, she had him on the ropes. "Do you think the ghost of the Headless Horseman has returned? Looking for his lost head?!"

"Uh, uh, I just remembered! I have uh, more paperwork to do!" Charles "excused" Helen from the museum by shoving her out. "Thank you for your time! Good day!" He shut the door. Helen heard it lock.

"Hmph," Helen walked away and returned to her grandfather. "I think we found our first suspect."


	5. A Pretty Good Lead

At a little cafe in Sleepy Hollow, there are a few strange glances at the man wearing a motorcycle helmet indoors sitting with the goth girl sipping her latte

"Okay, Pop. Crane is obviously hiding something. And what he's hiding is not in the museum." Helen said. "So, we need to dig deeper."

Her dullahan grandfather nodded.

"We need to start from the very beginning. Pop, what do you know about Ichabod Crane?"

Pop Horseman began writing a long note.

'It was Halloween night, I was taking an evening stroll since no humans would dare enter the woods, especially at night. Ichabod Crane, was a man who was trespassing on my property that night. If he came any closer, he would have discovered my home! I had no choice but to chase him off. It was dark so I used a jack-o-lantern I made to light the way.'

 _'That explains the pumpkin head'_ Helen thought. "So, that pumpkin wasn't a replacement head?"

Another note later,

'NO! A pumpkin for a head?! That's ridiculous!'

Helen continued to read the note.

'I chased Ichabod all over the wood to scare him off. He went across the bridge, but he just looked back and stared at me. I was so mad when he stared at me, he must have thought I was a freak...then I lost my temper and threw my jack-o-lantern at him to send a message. Ichabod was so scared, he left town and never came back.'

Helen stared at the note. "Wow...so that's the truth behind the legend. Hmm, It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know Charles is related to Ichabod. But he's too clean to keep a dullahan's head."

Her grandfather shoved another note in her face. 'I know my head was in that museum! We must find that Crane man and scare the truth out of him!'

"No, Pop. We can't do that. Today, we monsters are trying to reach the goal of living peacefully with the humans. Frankie and Draculaura already scolded me for the head stunt we pulled last night on those jocks! Scaring Charles could send monsters back into hiding!"

Helen tapped on the table. "Your head couldn't have gotten far. I say we search for your head again."

* * *

After their latte break, the search was back on again. With his hands out, the Headless Horseman was searching for his head like a metal detector trying to find pirate's treasure.

After searching almost around the whole town, Helen was getting exhausted. "Geez, I can't walk another-"

Her grandfather stopped. He pointed to Charles leaving the museum. He started to run, but Helen stopped him.

"What are you doing?! I know you're suspicious about Charles, but you're gonna get us busted!"

"Guys!" a voice squeaked.

A bat flew down in front of Helen. "What the-?!"

"It's me! Draculaura!" said the bat. "I've been worried sick about you two!"

Helen snapped her fingers. "Perfect timing!"

"Huh?"

"Drac! Follow that man and see what he's up to! He might be the head thief!" Helen ordered. "Come back to us when you've found something!"

Draculaura saluted and followed the human to his car. Seeing his back window cracked, she slipped inside and watched him take his seat and drive off.

As he drove away, Charles's phone rang and he meekly answered it. "Yes?"

Draculaura moved closer to hear better. Her sensitive ears picked up the conversation.

"You better not have told that creepy girl anything!" a gruff voice said to Charles.

Charles swallowed hard, his face pale. "I assure you, Sir. That girl does not suspect a thing! I promise!"

"Well, you better! The town election is coming up and I need to win! I don't need a bunch of snoopy punks ruining my chances of winning! And make sure you bring enough hamburger buns for the cookout tonight!"

"Y-Yes, Sir! I'm heading to the market right now, Sir!" Charles hung up and kept driving.

Having heard enough, Draculaura left through the window to report to her friends.

* * *

Back at Headless Manor, the vampire told them everything.

"Charles was talking to someone about us?!" Helen gasped.

"Yeah! There's this really mean sounding Normie saying he doesn't want anyone ruining this election going on! He thinks you're going to ruin it!"

"Then Crane really is in on this! And whoever he was talking to is his superior!" Helen said. "We've got to put a stop to this conspiracy! We're gonna crash the cookout and get grandpa's head back!"

"But how? We can't just show up at a party full of Normies!" Clawdeen said.

"Not if we have a plan first!" Frankie said. "And I have just the plan!"

Helen put her arm on Frankie's shoulders. "I like the way you think, Frankie!"

The monsters gathered round and discussed the plan. And they had to agree, it was full-proof.

"Alright, gang!" Helen announced. "We strike tonight!"


	6. Mystery Solved

The sun was setting upon Sleepy Hollow. The neighbors were gathered at a large house for a party.

The smell of hot dogs and hamburgers filled the air. Music was playing and people were chatting and having a good time.

Little did they know that things were about to get monstrous.

Despite the party going on in front of the house, Charles Crane was behind the house, guarding the back door.

"Why me?" Charles groaned. "Why me...?"

"Yes, why you indeed."

Charles jumped and saw Helen Bloodgood coming from the darkness. As well as her grandfather in his biker disguise.

"Y-Young lady! You must not be here!" Charles tried to warn. "D-Don't make me call the authorities!" He took out his phone.

Helen was hardly intimidated. She snatched the phone right out of the man's hand. Whoever made Charles Crane a security guard must be a real dimwit.

"Mr. Crane. I know what your guarding in that house." Helen said.

Charles sputtered and turned pale.

"You know as well as I do that my grandfather's head is stolen property and he wants it back."

"What?! What are you talking about?!" Charles said. "What head?!"

"The head that was kept in your museum and the thief moved it to this house because he knew we were onto him." Helen narrowed his eyes. "And my grandfather wants his head back..."

"I-I don't understand!" Charles said. He was genuinely confused.

The Headless Horseman took off his helmet.

Charles gazed in horror. The man was headless.

"Charles Crane. This is my grandfather, the Headless Horseman."

Understandably, Charles fell over and fainted.

"Okay, Phase one complete." Helen called Frankie's on her phone. "Frankie, initiate phase two!"

On the rooftop of the house, Frankie was ready. "Copy that!" With her electric power, She short-circuited the house lights and the street lights.

Shortly after, the humans became scared and confused.

With the lights out, Helen and her grandfather entered the house. Thanks to the power out, the two monsters were able to sneak in without notice.

"Sense your head now, Pop?" Helen whispered.

The horseman stuck his hands out. He felt his fingertips tingle.

His head wasn't definitely in here.

Helen followed her grandfather to a bedroom. The horseman approached a football plaque award on the wall.

"It's behind there?" Helen felt around the gaudy plaque and felt around for a switch. She found a button on the plaque frame. Once she pressed it, the plaque swung open

It was a hidden compartment. Inside was a journal...and a white bag with something rather large inside it.

"So, that's it, huh?" Helen said.

The Headless Horseman reached for the bag...

"HEY!"

Helen spun around and saw Travis Bones. "You get out of there!" he roared.

The horseman charged and plowed aside Travis. Helen grabbed the bag and ran after her grandfather.

Travis got up and followed after them. "STOP THEM! THEY'RE THIEVES!"

Helen and the horseman ran outside. As soon as Travis ran out,

"CLEO! NOW!" Helen shouted.

Cleo whipped out her bandages and tied up Travis like a mummy.

Everyone shouted in alarm.

Frankie turned the lights back on. Helen saw a band playing on a stage and ran right up to it. With the book in hand, she took the microphone and began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you're all aware of the legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman. Right here is the actual diary of Brom Bones, character of the story and ancestor of Travis Bones."

Travis struggled, his screams muffled from the bandages. But the helmeted Horseman kept him down.

"In this book right here, you'll find that the legend of the Headless Horseman is a lot different than the one told to tourists."

Helen began reading a page from the diary. "During the war, the troops and the people of Sleepy Hollow loved that fool Herman Bloodgood. He was always such a kind, generous man. He would assist anyone in need, always share with the less fortunate, everyone knew he had a heart of gold...and it disgusted me. So I framed Herman as a traitor working for the enemy."

Gasps and mutters were heard among the crowd.

Helen continued. "Herman was going to be decapitated as punishment. But he fled, so I had the pleasure of finishing him by firing a cannon right at the old noggin, Herman Bloodgood was gone. And the Headless Horseman was born. He returned from the grave and haunted the very wood where his life was taken. One day, the freak of nature lost his severed head and I took it as my own trophy."

The helmeted biker walked onto the stage.

"I will be remembered as a hero. While the name Herman Bloodgood rots in the pit of infamy." Helen closed the book and took out the white bag. "But that all changes tonight!"

Travis managed to feee himself and removed the bandages from his mouth. "SHE'S LYING! GET HER!" he ordered.

But no one listened.

"Oh, really?" Helen opened the bad. "If I'm lying, then what's this?"

She pulled out a head. The missing head of the Headless Horseman.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Multiple screams came out. The head was pale with short black hair, the eyes were closed though.

The audience became even more shocked when the Headless Horseman took off his helmet and placed the head on his shoulders.

A moment passed, then another...

He opened his eyes. They were dark green.

The horseman was no longer headless. He let out a much needed breath. "Much better!" he gasped out.

"That head belonged to my ancestor!" snapped Travis. "Give it back!"

A woman smacked him upside the head. "Oh, will you stop it?!"

"But honey-!" Travis pleaded to his wife.

"But nothing! That disgusting head has been haunting our family for too long! Take it! We don't need it here!"

"But-"

Before Travis could plead anymore, his wife grabbed him by the ear. "ENOUGH!"

"Sheesh, that lady is scarier than any monster!" Helen said.

While Travis was being pulled inside by his angry wife, Helen and her grandfather took off in a hurry before the humans caught up to them.

* * *

Charles Crane woke up outside Headless Manor. He screamed when he saw various teenage monsters smiling down at him.

"It's okay, Mr. Crane. We won't hurt you." Helen said. "In fact, my grandpa wants to apologize."

"It's true." Dressed in his old uniform again, Herman Bloodgood approached the stunned Normie. "Charles, I'm sorry for scaring your ancestor Ichabod. It wasn't right of me to chase him away like that."

"Oh, no! No! It's alright! Water under the bridge!" Charles insisted.

"But what I want to know is why you were in cahoots with Travis?" Helen said. "You obviously weren't on board with this whole head conspiracy."

"I...I had no choice. Travis's uncle owns the museum and he was going to get me fired if I didn't do as he told me..."

"That dirty little..." Clawdeen growled.

"Well, you don't have to worry about Bones anymore." Ari checked her phone. "Says here that guy's rep is trashed and he's dead last in the mayor election."

"Serves him right." Draculaura said. "Can you imagine a guy like that as mayor?"

"Charles, you have to learn to stand up for yourself." Herman said. "You can't have people taking advantage of you like Bones did. Okay?"

Charles nodded. "Okay. And I won't tell anyone about you. If it weren't for you all, I would've been Bones's lackey forever. And bow that the horseman has his head, will my museum not be haunted anymore?"

Helen giggled. "We can explain the so called hauntings. Ladies, demonstrate."

The ghouls bean tickling the horseman. He started laughing.

Charles go to the chills. Even when being tickled, the Headless Horseman's laugh was scary. It was the same laughter he heard at the museum.

"That's the reason behind the laughter you heard, Mr. Crane." Helen explained. "Sorry about that."

"Well, ghouls. It's time to go home." Frankie took out the Monster Mapalogue and they all teleported away.

* * *

The next day in gym class, Helen was bouncing on her toes with excitement.

"Well, if it isn't the granddaughter of the Brainless Horseman." Moanica D'Kay sneered with her Zomboy posse.

"Oh. Hola, Moanica!" Helen giggled. "Heh. Rhyme."

Helen's cheerfulness annoyed Moanica greatly. "And why are you so happy?"

"Because we have a new gym teacher!" Frankie said.

"Well, that's a relief." Moanica sniffed. "As long as it's no one bout your loco mom, I'm-"

BOOM!

A thunderous footstep shook the floor. Moanica and her Zomboyz fell on top of each other. Their jaws dropped when they saw a muscular man dressed in a black gym uniform marched out with his severed head tucked under his arm.

"Moanica, this is my grandfather, the Headless Horseman.

Moanica and her Zomboyz shrank at the horseman's presence. An uncharacteristic feeling of fear welled up in them.

"And I am also the new gym teacher, Mr. Bloodgood." Herman bellowed. "And either my ears are burning or someone called me brainless..." His green eyes stared right into Moanica.

Moanica tried to speak, but no words came out.

"TEN LAPS AROUND THE GYM! NOW!" Herman roared before blowing his whistle.

The group of zombies stumbled and began doing their laps.

"I think Pop is gonna fit in at Monster High just fine." Helen said.

"But what about your mom, Helen?" asked Frankie.

"Don't worry, she's got a job being the assistant principal with Mr. Dracula." Helen replied.

"Yeah! From what I hear, dad really appreciates the extra help!" Draculaura said.

With the addition of their new teacher, Monster High just got a lot more monstrous.


End file.
